Sierra Leone one year after the peace accord
Canadian Conference addresses the issues of peace, justice and sustainable development

In June 2000, Partnership Africa Canada held the Conference "Sierra Leone one year after the peace accord: In search for peace, justice and sustainable development" in Ottawa. The Conference addressed many subjects that will be of vital interest to Sierra Leone for a long time. Therefore we present the entire report of the conference as a special background on Sierra Leone.

The Conference was convened under the auspices of Partnership Africa Canada, the Network Movement for Justice and Development, and the Sierra Leone Working Group. Participants included representatives of Sierra Leonean civil society groups, Sierra Leoneans resident in Canada, Canadian and international non-governmental organizations, as well as officials from Sierra Leone, Canada, the U.S., Britain, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Rwanda, the United Nations, private sector representatives, the media and other interested parties. 

The principal objectives of the Conference were to build greater awareness of the problems and potential in Sierra Leone, help develop deeper and longer-term involvement in working with Sierra Leoneans towards lasting peace and sustainable human development, and to generate informed recommendations for effective governmental and non-governmental support for sustained peace in Sierra Leone. Discussion was focused on four thematic areas reflected in the structure of this report - security, resource management, relief and development and long-term peacebuilding. 

By way of an introduction - Comments from the conference...
"The rebellion in Sierra Leone is financed by illegal diamond mining. Before the war, corruption and mismanagement in the diamond sector was one of the main reasons why Sierra Leone became, according to UN figures, the poorest country in the world... With the breakdown of state structures and the effective suppression of civilian opposition, wide corridors were opened for trafficking of arms and ammunition and drugs, all of which eroded national/regional security and facilitated crime within the country and between Sierra Leone and Liberia and even Guinea. The war in Sierra Leone is being fought more over economic resources than over ideology."

"A rehabilitation strategy for Sierra Leone needs to focus on the broader issues of governance, institution-building and capacity building of government, if the other aspects of rehabilitation are to be sustainable. The institutions of government are not functioning and do not have the capacity to deliver to the people of Sierra Leone. Moreover, they can become obstacles for moving forward in the reconciliation process. Yet they are vital to the existence of the state and therefore the people."

"It is easier to work for people than with people. If we want to do this better, we need to work with people."

"Each year we are reminded that Canada is listed as the most advantaged country to live in, according to the UNDP analysis of world development trends. Sierra Leone...is at the bottom of the ladder. In Canada we no longer have budget deficits, rather we are amassing record budget surpluses. In recent years in Sierra Leone, there have hardly been budgets to have deficits with. Deficits in Sierra Leone are more at the level of lost educational opportunities, disappeared children, the displaced and refugees, and the many victims of war."

"Don't we have long-term strategic interests in peace and human rights and in an effective UN in Africa, and not just in Africa? These are all at stake in Sierra Leone."

Security Issues - Commentary 
Sierra Leone has been gripped by war since 1991. Although the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) originally claimed that it launched the war to depose a corrupt and repressive one-party government, it quickly became notorious for brutally coercive recruitment of child fighters, looting rural communities, and terror tactics against civilians such as amputation of limbs and systematic rape.

Estimates of war-related deaths since 1991 vary widely - from 20,000 to 75,000. Approximately half the population of 4.5 million is internally displaced, or living as refugees outside the country. Currently, rebel forces made up of RUF and renegade soldiers occupy much of the north and east of Sierra Leone, including the diamond-rich Kono District. In recent years, control of Sierra Leone's diamond fields and the ability of various factions to trade diamonds for arms, training and supplies has been a critical factor in the war. Liberia has been the principal route for the smuggling of Sierra Leonean diamonds on to world markets, a refuge for RUF fighters, a diplomatic supporter of the RUF, and an alleged transit point for arms shipments.

Pro-government forces are factionalized - loyal army personnel, former renegade army elements that have now declared their loyalty to the government, and civil militia members (Civil Defence Forces or Kamajors). To monitor implementation following the signing of the Lomé peace agreement in July 1999, the United Nations began deploying international troops to replace regional forces from member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). In May 2000, rebel forces seized approximately 500 UN peacekeepers as they attempted to deploy. At the time of writing, those originally taken hostage had been released through the intervention of Liberian President Charles Taylor, who has had close links with the RUF since its inception. However, more than 200 Indian UN troops remained
surrounded by the RUF in eastern Sierra Leone.

RUF Leader Foday Sankoh, who, under the Lomé agreement, had been pardoned of a treason conviction, granted the status of vice president and given the chairmanship of a Commission for the Management of Strategic Resources, was eventually taken prisoner after fleeing a Freetown demonstration protesting the RUF's lack of compliance with the peace agreement. The Sierra Leone government subsequently sought UN and other international backing to establish a tribunal to try Sankoh and others for crimes against humanity.

While the security situation within Sierra Leone deteriorated dramatically in May, in large part because of the recalcitrance of the RUF and other anti-government fighters to disarm, the demobilization, disarmament and reintegration program and other mechanisms established under the Lomé agreement had made some progress - despite poor planning and lack of human and financial resources. By the beginning of May approximately 24,000 combatants of an estimated total of 45,000 had entered the program. The Commission for the Consolidation of Peace had also begun to undertake field activities with mid-level force commanders that showed considerable promise of accelerating and deepening the disarmament and reintegration process.

As of June 25, the UN was attempting to clarify its security strategy and reorganize its badly flawed deployment, while at the same time negotiating the release of more than 200 encircled peacekeepers. Sankoh was being held in detention and pro-government government forces appeared to be stalled in pushing rebel elements away from the approaches to the capital Freetown. The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the security situation remained "calm and unpredictable".

The development of adequate military security in Sierra Leone in the short-term is dependent on the extension of government control into the north and east of the country and the reassertion of control over key diamond producing areas in Eastern Province now being exploited by rebel groups. This will necessitate strengthening pro-Sierra Leone government forces, as well as UN forces.

In the medium term, it is expected that aspects of the Lomé agreement, particularly those related to demobilization, disarmament, reintegration, human rights protection, management of strategic resources such as diamonds, and a Truth and Reconciliation Commission will resume or start up their activities.

Security Issues - Recommendations 
* Canada and other nations should provide more logistical and communications support for pro-government and UN forces in Sierra Leone.

* Canada and other nations should provide arms and ammunition for pro-government forces where adequate command and control is being exercised and no child combatants are present.

* Canada and other nations should provide personnel and other support to the United Kingdom in retraining the Sierra Leone military.

* There is a critical need for an in-depth evaluation of the strengths and shortcomings of the aborted Demobilization, Disarmament and Reintegration (DDR) process.

* Future DDR planning and application must be inclusive of Sierra Leone stakeholders and geographically decentralized.

* Local efforts at reintegration of ex-combatants and civilians already underway need to be strengthened and built upon.

* Realistic and attractive reintegration options for former combatants that do not have detrimental effects on overall community needs must be further developed and expanded.

* Diplomatic measures to secure peace could include:
- reinforcement of monitoring and enforcement of the UN arms embargo against Liberia;
- suspension of Liberia from ECOWAS;
- identification and seizure of offshore deposits of proceeds derived from war profiteering by Liberian officials;
- consideration of an international ban on Liberian registered shipping;
- designation of Liberia as a state sponsor of terrorism and imposition of a broader sanction regime.

Resource Management - Commentary 
Diamonds have been largely responsible for the wealth of Sierra Leone, especially as a foreign exchange earner, as well as creating numerous problems for the country. Even before artisanal diamond mining was opened up to domestic diggers in 1954, it provided livelihoods for thousands of Sierra Leoneans, as well as for suppliers, traders and service providers. Control of Sierra Leone's diamond fields has been a major driver of the war.

Currently, rebel forces control diamond-rich Kono District and other mining areas in the east and north of the country. Pro-government forces control digging areas in the south. Most diamonds from rebel-held areas are smuggled through Liberia and on to world markets from Monrovia. Diamond profits are reportedly used for the purchase of arms and ammunition, hiring of mercenaries and other war-related activities. Partnership Africa Canada, subsequent to its January 2000 report on Sierra Leone conflict diamonds titled “The Heart of the Matter”, reported that in 1999, Liberia mined $10 million worth of diamonds locally but exported $297 million worth of diamonds to Belgium, where the rough stones are traded and/or cut. While Liberia is a transit point for diamonds from as far afield as Russia, Congo and Angola, De Beers estimated that about $70 million of Liberia's exports in 1999 came from Sierra Leone.

After Partnership Africa Canada and other NGOs brought the issue of the impact of illicit diamond mining and trafficking to public attention, key players in the industry have begun to make substantial reforms, in part to avert the threat of a consumer boycott. De Beers, for example, has made a number of recommendations including that no diamonds be traded without valid international certificates of origin, Sierra Leone should make itself competitive with Liberia and Guinea by reducing its export tax of 2-3% and allowing diamonds to be bought in US dollars. The diamond industry leader has also suggested that:

* local buying should be limited to a few points within Sierra Leone;

* minimum export performance quotas should be imposed on exporters to limit smuggling;

* sellers should be provided with receipts to curb undervaluing of stones;

* a strictly limited number of non-Sierra Leonean buyers should pay $50,000 annual licence fees, plus a $50,000 performance bond to guarantee good behaviour;

* only Sierra Leonean nationals be allowed digging and dealing permits;

* Sierra Leoneans sellers should invite diamond buyers who participate in well-regulated tender sales carried out in Guinea five times a year to Sierra Leone.

However, a recent USAID Office of Transition Initiatives working paper titled Diamonds and Armed Conflict in Sierra Leone argues that:

"...Solving the illicit marketing problem will not address the fundamental development problems that are the root causes of the war. The war in the East and South was about poverty, corruption, and bad governance. Genuine peace will be about the ability of the post-war structures to achieve development…

"The same shroud of mystery that has cloaked the international diamond trade, permitting crime and injustice to flourish in parallel to legitimate business, is at the core of the poverty and economic injustice facing diggers. Secrecy about the income of traditional authorities and politicians is part of the system that prevents poor people from obtaining a fair share of this income pie. Without transparency there cannot be good governance. Without transparency there will not be fair income distribution, fair trade practices, and sound credit and financial institutions. This is a fundamental choice Sierra Leonean leaders must make."

Under the Lomé peace agreement, RUF Leader Sankoh was made chairman of a Commission for the Management of Strategic Resources, National Reconstruction and Development. Until his flight and capture in May, Sankoh apparently used that role to attempt to strike private diamond deals. In part, the Commission was to ensure transparency and accountability in the exploitation of resources and that the proceeds were used for reconstruction and development, particularly in rural areas.

Resource Management - Recommendations 
* There is an urgent need for the creation of an independent, international body to provide oversight of the world diamond industry - an International Diamond Authority. This body should include government representatives, law enforcement agencies, non-governmental organizations, researchers, academics and other interested parties to monitor and apply legal sanctions against countries, companies and individuals that trade in conflict diamonds. 

* The World Federation of Diamond Bourses should expel members who deal in illicit diamonds. Insurance companies should demand a halt to trade in illicit diamonds as well.

* Diamond exports from Liberia must be placed under an international embargo.

* Research into exports from Guinea, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and other countries in the region should be undertaken as an urgent priority.

* Countries with expertise in policing diamond industries should provide support to Sierra Leone in developing an effective internal policing mechanism.

* International NGOs must better coordinate their conflict diamond research and campaigning activities, including monitoring of nationally registered mining companies with interests in Sierra Leone.

* There is an urgent need for a strategic review of resource extraction industries in Sierra Leone and strengthening of systems and regulations, particularly, but not exclusively, those governing the mining, purchase and export of diamonds. Strengthening of systems and regulations would involve logistical and training support for government personnel.

* Support for accurate geological surveying of Sierra Leone's mineral resources, as well as other countries in the region. 

* Canada and other donor counties should ensure effective establishment of the Commission for the Management of Strategic Resources, National Reconstruction and Development called for in the Lomé peace agreement. Effective participation of members of Sierra Leone civil society, the media and other parties is necessary to meet concerns of accountability and transparency of overall government resource management policy and operations, prevention of corruption in sales of diamonds and valuation practices, and fostering effective and equitable reconstruction and development practices related to resource use and income.

* Canada and other donor counties should provide support for public information dissemination through governmental and non-governmental channels regarding diamond policies and operations, particularly as they relate to negotiation of fair prices for diggers, digger family resource management, cooperative mechanisms, and the use of commercial banks. 

Relief and development - Commentary 
More than nine years of war in Sierra Leone have devastated a country that was already impoverished, deeply indebted and suffering from years of mismanagement and failed development initiatives. Sierra Leone is currently ranked last on the UNDP's Human Development Index, with the lowest life expectancy in the world - 35 years, highest maternal mortality rate in the world and one of the highest infant mortality rates. The war has curbed agricultural production drastically, cut government revenues from mining and seen the destruction of hundreds of schools, health clinics, and administrative facilities. Forced displacement has effected more than half the population estimated at 4.5 million. Between 20,000 and 75,000 people have been killed and thousands mutilated. Dislocation of people, the brain drain compounded by the war, and destruction of schools have exacerbated the educational crisis in the country, which has a literacy rate of about 20 per cent. At present, about two-thirds of the country is inaccessible to humanitarian organizations seeking to provide emergency relief. Even in government controlled areas, there has been increased vulnerability to malnutrition and disease. Human rights abuses - for example, murder, systematic rape, amputations, forced labour - are widespread in rebel-controlled areas.

The international response to the humanitarian crisis in Sierra Leone has been abysmal. For example, as of June 21, only about 50 per cent of the $71 million (USD) sought through the United Nations Consolidated Appeal for Sierra Leone had been pledged by donors and only $29.5 million had been provided.

According to OCHA, priority areas for immediate assistance include:
* plastic sheeting and construction materials for emergency shelter;
* mats, kitchen kits, blankets, jerry cans/buckets for 30,000 family heads and tarpaulins for 15,000 family heads;
* seven health clinics for internally displaced camps;
* water and sanitation equipment;
* vulnerable group feeding, institutional feeding and support for therapeutic and supplementary feeding programs to support IDPs in camps and within host communities;
* camp management support in partnership between national and international NGOs, including overall coordination and management of IDP issues, systematic training programmes for camp managers and officials, sensitization on beneficiary rights and agencies' constraints;
* support for human rights organizations to follow-up on all protection issues related to IDPs.

Longer-term needs include:
* rehabilitation and expansion of agriculture;
* demobilisation and reintegration of all child and adult combatants;
* support for community-based reintegration activities for IDPs, refugees, child-soldiers, unaccompanied children, and amputees. This includes psycho-social support, physiotherapy for amputees, and human rights sensitization and protection;
* rehabilitation and reintegration of amputees should include development of an integrated structure in terms of access to prosthetic devices, housing, employment, education, and family support;
* better access to health care and improved good health practice;
* development of local capacity (government and civil society) to rebuild society as an integral part of relief and rehabilitation programs;
* reconstruction or rehabilitation of destroyed or damaged schools and other educational institutions;
* introduction of universal and compulsory primary education;
* filling the technical or vocational manpower needs gap by substantially increasing the number of indigenous skilled lower level "blue collar" workers;
* creation of an enabling environment for the development of appropriate indigenous technologies;
* expansion of non-formal education throughout the country;
* provision of nationwide library and textbook services, radio and TV educational broadcasting
continuous curriculum review and development;
* regular manpower surveys to assist all post-primary institutions to adapt the content of their courses and the volume of their student output to the needs of the nation.

Relief and development - Recommendations 
* Canada and other donor nations should substantially increase their commitments and delivery of emergency assistance and longer-term development funding to Sierra Leone. One immediate and readily achievable target is the UN Consolidated Appeal shortfall for the year 2000.

* The Canadian International Development Agency should, as an urgent priority, post agency staff within Sierra Leone to better evaluate local needs, capacities, partner organizations, and areas for increased and sustained Canadian support.

* A Sierra Leone CIDA office should be tasked with and have the resources necessary to fast-track proposals for assistance.

* International non-governmental organizations operating within Sierra Leone should immediately review and seek to improve stakeholder consultation practices with the aim of maximizing broadly-based local participation in planning and delivery of programming and minimizing the negative effects of the relief economy.

Long term Peacebuilding - Commentary 
Nearly a decade of war has severely undermined the effectiveness of a state that was already in dire straits in the early 1990s. In the current circumstances, some of the major obstacles to long-term peacebuilding identified by conference participants are the further breakdown of the state structure, particularly the factionalization of the military and police, a range of social problems affecting youths, and the weaknesses of civil society.

The reassertion of governmental control throughout the country, while dependent on security factors, is one of the primary aims of the government and the United Nations. However, Sierra Leoneans' experience of both central and local government has been largely negative and marked by over centralization, corruption at all levels, lack of accountability of office holders, and abuse of administrative and judicial powers. Governmental mismanagement, corruption and inefficiency are widely seen to have have compounded poverty, economic and social exploitation, and mass illiteracy and exacerbating political, economic and social tensions. With elections to be held in early 2001, there has been a proliferation of political parties, even though much of the country remains in the hands of rebel forces.

The virtual collapse of the Lomé peace process in early May and the subsequent capture of RUF Leader Foday Sankoh and other members of the RUF hierarchy has thrown into question the general amnesty granted all combatants under the accord. The Sierra Leone government subsequently made a request to the United Nations for support in establishing a war crimes tribunal. While justice and impunity for crimes committed during the war are burning issues, the overall criminal justice system, traditional justice, women's, children's and prisoners’ rights, and the general growth in interest in human rights are also key elements of the political and social landscape.

Long term Peacebuilding - Recommendations 
* There is a need for more extensive human rights education and training, particularly for the military and police, but also for the general population to be provided by national non-governmental organizations in partnership with international NGOs, intergovernmental and Sierra Leone government agencies.

* Canada and other donor countries should provide training and financial and technical resources aimed at rebuilding Sierra Leone's judicial system. Adequate, dependable salaries are necessary for those involved in the delivery and administration of justice.

* Canada and other donor countries should provide diplomatic, financial and technical support for a tribunal to try alleged perpetrators of war crimes.

* Civil society organizations, including the media, are in urgent need of financial and technical resources, as well as training, to be able to better monitor government performance.

* Canadian NGOs and other interested parties should establish a working group to, firstly, develop a shared strategic approach to peacebuilding in Sierra Leone in collaboration with a cross section of Sierra Leonean civil society and NGO organizations, and, secondly, to undertake collaborative programming and institute joint programme evaluation and learning processes among Canadian and Sierra Leonean partners.

Source: Partnership Africa Canada

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